The Secret World of Roald Dahl
“The Secret World of Roald Dahl “ premiered January 19, 2026.
About the Podcast
“The Secret World of Roald Dahl” is a new podcast series from iHeartMedia, Imagine Entertainment, and Parallax. Created and hosted by Aaron Tracy, it goes beyond the pages of Willy Wonka, Matilda, and the BFG to uncover the stranger truth behind the author himself: a former spy, a struggling screenwriter, and a cultural force shaped by secrecy and controversy. Across a dark and twisty narrative, the show traces how Dahl became one of the most successful writers for children of all time, and asks what shadows from his covert past may have found their way into the stories we grew up with.
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Roald Dahl’s complicated legacy: anti-semite and suave spy?
In this Slate Plus episode, Anna talks to Aaron Tracy, host of the new podcast The Secret World of Roald Dahl about the beloved children’s author’s complicated legacy. They cover everything from Dahl’s anti-semitism to his job as a spy during WWII, where one of his jobs was to seduce the wives of powerful men.
The Secret World of Roald Dahl
While most people know Roald Dahl from his beloved books like Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and BFG, not as much is known about his life away from writing. A new documentary podcast looks at his history as a fighter pilot, intelligence officer and his work in science. Host and creator Aaron Tracy discusses The Secret World of Roald Dahl.
From Espionage To Willy Wonka: Aaron Tracy On Tackling The Paradoxical Roald Dahl In New Podcast Produced By Ron Howard
From his time as a British spy during the Second World War to his troubled career as a Hollywood screenwriter, Roald Dahl is far more than his children's books.
The Secret World Of Roald Dahl on Ridiculous History
Nowadays, most everyone knows a classic Roald Dahl story — yet who knows the man himself? In the first part of this special two-part interview, the guys welcome Aaron Tracy, the award-winning creator of The Secret World of Roald Dahl, as he blasts beyond the bluster of headlines and hedgerows of civility— exposing, for better or worse, the true life of one of the world's most beloved authors.
Roald Dahl: The Spy Behind the Storyteller
Children grew up reading Roald Dahl’s tales of giant peaches and chocolate factories. Adults know about the controversy surrounding the antisemitic statements he made in his later years. But before becoming one of the most successful children’s authors of all time, Dahl worked for MI6, seducing Washington socialites and cozying up to the First Family. He did this to gather intelligence and exert influence for Winston Churchill in the early days of World War II. Writer Aaron Tracy delves into Dahl’s complicated life in his new podcast, The Secret World of Roald Dahl, and sat down with SpyCast Host Sasha Ingber to discuss Dahl’s forays into espionage.
Josh Gondelman, Chloe Radcliffe and Aaron Tracy guest
Doug welcomes Josh Gondelman, Chloe Radcliffe and Aaron Tracy to the show.
Aaron Tracy and Roald Dahl's Dangerous Double Life
Aaron Tracy joins to talk about The Secret World of Roald Dahl, his podcast about the children's author as war spy, improvised medical inventor, and world-class fabulist with a vicious streak. The conversation gets into Dahl's improbable second act as a children's writer, the darkness that made books like James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory endure, and the harder question of how to reckon with his explicit anti-Semitism.
The Dignity of Human Art and the Secret World of Roald Dahl on The Lit Hub Podcast
Aaron Tracy stops by The Lit Hub Podcast for a chat about his new show, The Secret World of Roald Dahl, and what it has been like to revisit the beloved childhood author as a grown-up.
‘The Secret World Of Roald Dahl’ From iHeartPodcasts & Imagine Entertainment Will Explore Author’s Life As A British Spy
If you know your Willy Wonkas from your BFGs, iHeartPodcasts and Imagine Entertainment have the podcast documentary for you. Created and hosted by Aaron Tracy, the story will explore how the author of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, ‘The BFG’, ‘Matilda’ and many other classic children’s books spent a period of his life as a spy for MI6, along with his personal relationships, creative failures and other experiences that shaped him.
How to Write a Hit Narrative Podcast with Aaron Tracy: Part Three
Yale educator and TV writer/producer, Aaron Tracy, returns to chat with us about why truth is stranger than fiction, what it’s like to teach at Yale, and his non-fiction narrative podcast “The Secret Life of Roald Dahl.”
Listen now on The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience
Golden Ticket: The Hidden Life of Roald Dahl
You’re familiar with his books: Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, James & the Giant Peach, The BFG, Matilda. But how much do you know about the author?
Greg Olear speaks with Aaron Tracy about his excellent new narrative podcast, The Secret World of Roald Dahl.
Did Willy Wonka’s Creator Spy on America?
Roald Dahl is a beloved children’s author. Turns out, he was also a British spy during WWII! So how does one transition from seducing prominent Americans’ wives to writing Matilda?
Well, we’re glad you asked! We called up Aaron Tracy, the creator of a new docu-series called The Secret World of Roald Dahl to get all the dirt on this famous children’s author.
Podcast Explores Roald Dahl's Hidden Life as Spy & Writer
Hosted and created by Aaron Tracy, the podcast explores the hidden life of Roald Dahl, detailing his experiences as a World War II fighter pilot, British intelligence operative with MI6, Hollywood screenwriter, and medical innovator, long before becoming the author of children's classics including Willy Wonka, Matilda, and The BFG.